Means for insuring the safe manipulation of explosives.



E. P. DU PONT.

PatentedSept; 18, 1917 2 SHEETS SHEET I.

R v m E V w MEANS FOR INSURING THE SAFE MANIPULATION 0F EXPLOSIVES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-23, |9l7.. 1,249,548..

"III

E. P. DU PDNT.

MEANS FOR INSURING THE SAFE MANiPULATION 0F EXPLOSIVES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. 1917.

" 1,240,548. PatentedSept. 18,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESS:

wan/r0 0 66 MM ELEUTHEBE PAUL DU FONT, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

MEANS FOR INSURING THE SAFE MANIPULATION OF EXPLOSIVES.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

Application filed March 23, 1917. Serial No. 157,060.

To aZZ whom it may concern I 1 Be it known that I, ELEUTHERE PAUL DU PONT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilmington, county of New Castle, and State of Delaware, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Means for Insuring the Safe Manipulation of Explosives, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The ordinary practice in operations such as loading primers, wrapping fuses, etc., which require but a small amount of explosive for each individual operation, is to supply each operative with enough explosive to carry on a large number of operations successively, such supply being from time to time renewed. The finished product is al lowed to accumulate and is removed periodically.

The supply of explosive and accumulated finished product is of necessity considerable and is sufiicient to be a source of great danger to the operatives, in case of explosion or fire.

The object of my invention is to so dispose the supplies of explosive and the finished product, in all such operations as require a number of successive similar op-v erations involving small quantities of explosive for each operation, so that any explosion thereof will be relatively harmless, and to protect the operative from explosion or burning of any explosive other-than such relatively small quantity as he may be-using ina very few individual operations; at the same time providing means whereby the supplies of explosive shall be readily obtainable by the operative and the finished product readily disposed of.

To this end my invention consists in placing an explosion proof partition or barricade between the bench at which the operations are carried on and both the source of supply of explosive and the point where the finished product accumulates pending its removal to storage or elsewhere.

My invention also consists in the means for supplying the explosive to the operative and removing the finished product.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters refer to similar parts in all the figures:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a building with safetypartition and means for supplying powder'pellets for the purpose of wrapping them in paper to form fuses and removing the finished product and a chute for the disposal of defective material.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the chute leading to a defective product container.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of an explosive sup ply container.

Fig. {l is a cross sectional view of a build ing with safety partition and supply containers and finished product containers for use in placing gauze cups on the ends of wrapped fuses.

Fig. 5-is a plan view of container for rolled unfinished fuses.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a container for the fuses after being finished.

Fig. 7 is a side view in section of Fig. 6.

The partition a, of suiiicient strength to stand a predetermined explosive force, is erected in the rectangular building 5, one of the sides of the building opposite the partition a being preferably left open. On one side of the partition is suitably-fastened the work bench c. On the other side of the partition aresuitably fastened the explosive container (Z, the finished product container Z, and the defective material container 0.

The explosive container, open at the top,

is formed of sheet metal having the con-' tracted neck forming the lip f which extends through a suitable aperture in the partition of the size of the neck, and on a level with the top of the bench. The rear of the container being at a higher level than the neck permits the explosive to run into the lip when the pan is shaken.

The finished product is placed in the finished product container Z, one iend of which extends through the partition through a suitable aperture therein, in a position convenient to the hand of the operative.

' The explosive and finished product con of the partition obtains explosive as it is required and only in such quantities as is required for an individual operation, or

for a very few'operations, through the contracted neck of the explosive container.

As each individual operation is finished the finished product is placed in the finished product container Z and is carried by gravity through the partition and is deposited at the rear of the container.

The container 0, on the opposite side of the partition from the operative, is adapted to receive any material found to'be defective. Defective-material [is passed into the con.- tainer e by means of the triangular chute 6 Which passes through suitable apertures in the partition and bench.

The operative is only placed in danger from the explosiv'eof such. small quantity of explosive-as he is using in the conduct of a single operation for example, the loading of a single primer, or the Wrapping or finishing of a single fuse. j

vThe force of an explosion of the explosive supply, of the-finished product, or of any defective material, Will be spent: against the partition, and Will not in any Way tend to injure the operative, the partition being built of a strength to Withstand an explosion of the entire supply of explosive and finished'product. The containers being open at the top and the side of the building being open, free escape is afforded for the explosive force and Without, danger of destroying the partition.

A modification may be made in the above described apparatus,- foruse in finishing the ends of Wrapped fuses. The fuse container j, formed of sheet metal, is openatthe top and is trough shaped. The lower I corner protrudes through the partition above the level of the bench. A portionof said corner is cutout at '72. The operative Withdraws the fuses, one at a time, throughthe cut out 1 corner as he requires them. The rear of the "fuse container isslightly raised to permit the fuses to roll to the front and register With the cut out corner. I

. The container Zfor the Wrapped fuses is formed With flaring sides, the narrow end extending through the partition far enough for the admission .of a fuse horizontally.

' The fuses roll down the bottom of the containerand accumulate at the Wide end.

I prefer to cover the bottom of the container With felt, While the sides are ofmetal; the friction betvv'eenthe fuse and the felt, togetherwith the smooth flaring sides prevent the fuse. from turning in its travel along the bottom of the container.

It-is of course necessary to have a person to replenish the supplies of explosives in "the-supply containers and to remove. the

' finished product.

- I do not limit my invention to thespecifi'c "types of apparatus herein described except chinery.

requiring successive supplies of explosives,

Whether carried out manually or by ma- Having noW fully described my invention What I'elaim and desire to protect byfLetters Patent is:

1. Means for protecting operatives per forming operations involving theusnccesslve manipulation of small quantitiesof explosives, comprising a'barricade, and an explosive sup-ply container extending through an aperture in the barricade whereby the supply of explosive material on one side of the barricade may pass by small instalments-to thpl operative on the other side of the'barriea c;

4 2. Means for protecting operatives pen forming operations. involving the successive manipulation of small quantities of explosives, comprising a barricade, and a finished product container-extending through an aperture in the barricade whereby the units of the product as provided by :the operator on'one side of the barricade may be successively disposed of and accumulate o theother side of the barricade.- m V 3. -Means for protecting operatives per:- forming operations involving the successive manipulation of small quantities of explosives, comprising a barricade, an explosive supply container on one sideof the barricade, said barricade having'an aperture communicating With said container and provid; ing an inlet for the passage to the operator on the other side'of the barricade of successive instalmentsof the explosive supply. 4:. Means for protecting operatives performing operations involving the successive manipulation of small quantities of explosives, comprising a barricade, a, finished product container on one side of the barrieade, said barricade'having an aperture communicating Wlth'SELlCl container and providing anoutlet for the passage from the op'er' ator on the other side of the barricade of successive-units of the finishedp'roduo't.

Means for protecting operatives-successively manipulating small quantities of explosives in the successive formation ofnu merous units of finished or, partly finished product, comprising a bar.r-ica de,.an-;explo- .sivesupply'container and a finished product container on OHQ SldG of the barricade; said as defined in theapp ended claims, as my in- 6. Means for protecting operatives engaged in successive manipulation of small quantities of explosives, coinprising'a barricade, a work table on one side of the barricade, an explosive supply container on the opposite side of the barricade above the level of the work table and communicating with the first named side of the barricade through an aperture, and a finished product container 011 the same side of the barricade as the explosive supply container and below the level of the work table and communicating with the first named side of the barricade through another aperture.

7. The combination with an explosive proof partition, of an explosive supply container and a finished product container on one side of said partition, and means. to deliver explosive to and receive finished product from the opposite side of said partition.

8. The combination with a work table, of an explosive supply container and a finished product container and an explosive proof partition separating said table from said containers, there being restricted openings in said partition permitting communication between said table and said containers.

9. The combination with an explosion proof partition, of an explosive container fastened to said partition and having a contracted neck adapted to extend through said partition for the delivery of explosive mate rial to the opposite side thereof, and a finished product container having communica tion through said partition and adapted to receive the finished product.

10. The combination with a barricade containing a suitable aperture, of a device on which operations may be performed upon articles containing explosives, a pan to contain powder, a lip on the end of the pan projecting through the barricade into which powder may be caused to flow from the body of the pan by shaking the pan, said pan being set on a slight incline to insure delivery into the lip.

llrThe combination with a barricade hav ing a suitable aperture, of a finished product container having a restricted end extending through an aperture in the barricade, the bottom of said container being inclined to slope away from said restricted end to cause articles containing explosives placed in the restricted end of the container to roll or slide to the far end of said container and there accumulate.

12. The combination with a barricade containing a suitable aperture, of a device on which operations may be performed on articles containing explosives, and a waste chute extending through the said barricade whereby defective explosives may be carried into a suitable container.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pa, 011 this 21st day of March, 1917.

ELEUTHERE PAUL DU PONT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

